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The New York State Division of Criminal Justice Services signed a memorandum of understanding with ICE last May, as part of a national initiative called "Secure Communities," which allows the two groups to share information about arrested individuals. The goal of the program, according to ICE, is to identify and remove undocumented criminals from the U.S. through deportation and to thereby "improve public safety." New York state signed the memorandum, but it has yet to be implemented.

Make the Road New York, one of the organizers of the rally against the program, said that innocent people are being deported as a result.

"This is not about convicted felons," said Andrew Friedman, co-executive director of Make the Road New York. "In most instances it's about innocent New Yorkers or New Yorkers who are guilty of very minor things. This is not about public safety."

The group of protestors marched across the Brooklyn Bridge into Manhattan to City Hall Park and stopped at a small stage complete with a mariachi band. Speakers told their stories of how the program has affected them.

One protester, Jorgelina Aguirre, whose son is currently in jail on Riker's Island says her son was harrased and beaten up in Brooklyn and was later arrested for the beating. As a result of Secure Communities, Aguirre says an immigration hold has been placed on him. If he is found innocent, she fears Immigration officers will be waiting to take him away.

Councilman Daniel Dromm of District 25 in Queens and other council members around the city have asked Mayor Michael Bloomberg to end the city's voluntary relationship with the federal ICE, saying it is tearing families apart.

"What we're doing is we are forcing the immigrant community to be distrustful of the police department rather than trustful of the police department," Dromm said at the rally, "and Secure Communities makes insecure communities for those reasons."

The Mayor's office has not returned call for comment.

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Comments [3]

Paul

"HUNDREDS of people"Are you JOKING?I was there and there were scarcely 50 people all together. STOP lying and start focusing on real media issues. Do you call yourself a reporter? We should call you a FICTION WRITER!!!

The return of Majority Senator Harry Reid (D-NV) Senator Boxer (D-CA) to Washington means expedited--MASS AMNESTY--for the 12 to 20 million illegal aliens in the first session of Congress. Democrats have voted to join --YOUR--Social Security and pension with illegal alien workers. According to the non-profit think-tank The Heritage Foundation, the cost will be $2.6 TRILLION DOLLARS to taxpayers. We are already taxed for illegal alien children education, for their health care and a overrun prison population. How much more does the Democrats want from us in taxes; immigration airline junkets from all across the globe, so they don't have criminally steal into America anymore? GOOGLE--more facts and answers on the Internet, then you decide your future. Taxpayers in Nevada and California have been whiplashed by higher taxes on a State level, to subsidize illegal immigrant. Acknowledge that Nevada and California have huge unemployment and billions of dollars in damaging state deficits. Remember we already have a $13 TRILLION DOLLAR US GOVERNMENT DEFICIT. Help fight corruption in Congress by joining THE TEA PARTY.

Gubernatorial Jerry Brown has identified himself as a Pro-Amnesty elected official, unlike Meg Whitman who is against any Path to Citizenship, Amnesty and cutting off welfare and cash payments to illegal aliens. Be observant and watch for violations of our voting laws by illegal aliens. A massive voter fraud in Houston, TX, proves the deceiving momentum of registrations by the Liberal fringe and extremists. American citizens must work together to require proof of citizenship to register to vote and require a photo identification card when casting a ballot. Citizens must demand such a plan to defend the integrity of General elections and secure the civil rights of voters. It's for sure that Election officials will be watching vigilantly and inspecting carefully absentee ballots for violations of the law, specifically in border states with millions of illegal aliens.

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